DUEL

04.16.14

Bloomberg Gives $50M for Rival NRA

Andrew Burton/Getty

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that he will donate $50 million toward building a grassroots, nation-wide network for voters against gun violence. He plans to restructure two gun-control groups he funds into a new umbrella group called Everytown for Gun Safety. Bloomberg said he envisions it as a pro-gun-control answer to the National Rifle Association, especially its ability to effectively turn the screws on politicians. “They say, ‘We don’t care. We’re going to go after you. If you don’t vote with us, we’re going to go after your kids and your grandkids and your great-grandkids. And we’re never going to stop,’” he said of the NRA. “We’ve got to make them afraid of us.” He's already rounded up an elite and bipartisan board, which includes Tom Ridge, Michael Mullen, and Warren Buffett as members.